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Sea Shepherd, Taino Warriors & Michelle Rodriguez team up to help Puerto Rico rebuild (Watch Video)
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has partnered with Taino Warriors and actor/activist Michelle Rodriguez on a campaign to help the hurricane ravaged and economically impacted island of Puerto Rico rebuild in a sustainable manner.
The campaign, titled Operation Taino Spirit Promise, comes 75 days after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, forcing a complete rebuild of its already weakened infrastructure.
In the spirit of Puerto Rico’s indigenous Taino people, Operation Taino Spirit Promise, will deliver supplies to local Puerto Rican NGOs committed to rebuilding Puerto Rico sustainably focusing on the areas of environment, eco-agriculture and children’s mental health and education. The vessel will also retrieve plastics and raw materials off the island, alleviating the pressure from Puerto Rico’s over-flowing landfills. The campaign is set to launch mid-December and continue into 2018.
“Taino Spirit Promise will identify disrupters & change makers in Puerto Rico to empower them by bringing long term aid & assistance,” said Michelle Rodriguez, whose father is Puerto Rican and who spent many summers during her formative years on the island.
“In this era of climate change Sea Shepherd stands ready to assist the good and resilient people of Puerto Rico in their recovery from these destructive events,” said Sea Shepherd founder, President and C.E.O. Captain Paul Watson.
Taino Warriors is a Hollywood-based non-profit led by industry leaders whose mission is to support Puerto Ricans who are empowering underserved communities in the areas of environment, eco-agriculture and children’s education and mental health, with innovative and sustainable tools and solutions.
Operation Taino Spirit Promise follows Sea Shepherd’s recent Hurricane Irma and Maria relief campaign, Operation Good Pirates of the Caribbean, which involved the islands of Curacao, Martinique, Dominica, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, Antigua, Saint Maarten, the British Virgin Islands, St. Barts and St. Croix.
Rodriguez – best known for her role as Letty Ortiz in the blockbuster franchise The Fast and the Furious – is a long-time Sea Shepherd supporter. In March of this year, she took part in Operation Ice Watch, a female survey team who documented the effects of climate change and the disappearing ice floes in Canada, leading to the extinction of Canadian seals.
You can donate to help Operation Taino Spirit Promise at https://my.seashepherd.org/OperationTSP
Dive Worldwide has recently introduced Kenya to its portfolio of dive destinations, making it a new must-visit for divers. The company has chosen Temple Point Resort, located in Watamu, a small town on Kenya’s Indian Ocean Coast. The resort embodies the spirit of Kenya, with thatched roof buildings and bright white interiors, complemented with local art. The Creek Deluxe rooms enjoy a creek view and sunset vistas, whilst Boutique Garden rooms offer peace nestled in lush greenery.
An abundance of activities such as golf, stand up paddleboarding and kite surfing await those looking for action; while those in search of rejuvenation may partake in a range of yoga classes, or indulge in the spa. Spend evenings dining poolside dining or lazing in hammocks suspended over the creek; there is no detail missed at Temple Point.
The waters surrounding Temple Point Resort are bustling with life, however, there is also an opportunity to explore on dry land. Tsavo National Park is close enough for a day safari, allowing guests to double up on the wildlife experiences Kenya has to offer, from elephants to whale sharks.
Suggested Dive Itinerary: Dive and Discover Kenya
Embark on an adventure to one of Africa’s finest marine parks, Watamu, the first of its kind in the continent. Created in 1968, Watamu offers excellent diving and snorkelling for those of all experience levels. Lively coral reefs and the surrounding waters are home to over 1,000 species of fish, devil rays, mantas, whale sharks, dolphins and turtles.
DEAL: Stay 12 nights for the price of 10 at Temple Point Resort
Price: Dive and Discover Kenya now costs £2295pp, saving £150 per person. Including international flights from the UK, 12 nights’ B&B (for the price of 10), transfers, 5 days, 10 dive pack, tanks and weights. Based on travel in September ONLY. https://www.diveworldwide.com/trip-ideas/dive-discover-kenya#details
For more information visit: diveworldwide.com or call 01962 302 087
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
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